^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Kazakh Khanate, Kazakhstan

Republic of Kazakhstan

On this page:

Kazakh Khanate (1456-1822). Introduction
Kazakh Khanate flag
Flags in "Diamond Sword" movie, 2016

See also:

Kazakhstan. Main page

Kazakh Khanate (1456-1822). Introduction

The Kazakh Khanate was a nomadic state in Central Asia that existed from c.1465 to the early 19th century. It emerged after the fragmentation of the Golden Horde.
In Kazakh historiography, the year 1465 is commonly accepted as the date of the establishment of the Kazakh Khanate. This date is mentioned in the work of the medieval author Muhammad Haidar Dughlat Tarikh-i Rashidi.
In the 17th century, three separate orda (horde), or zhuz, emerged: the Senior (Greater), Middle (Central), and Junior, each with its own territory for nomadic movements. After the death of Khan Tauke in 1715 or 1718, the zhuzes essentially became independent khanates. Ablai Khan was able to reunite all Kazakhs and skillfully navigated his politics between Russia and China, but after his death in 1781, the khanate once again fractured into three zhuzs, whose khans were appointed by the Russian government. In 1822–1824, the institution of the Khanate in the Russian Empire was abolished by the Statutes concerning the Siberian and Orenburg Kazakhs.
Cited from "Wikipedia"

According to Pierre Lux-Wurm, the word "Kazak" appeared in the Turkish language and in Russian documents around the XIVth century. Its original meaning was "independent, tramp" and it was used to designate the
nomadic peoples from Central Asia. The history of the Kazaks before the XVIIIth century is less-known due to the lack of local written sources. The Kazak tradition says that their common ancestor divided them into three hordes ("jouz"), the Greater Hord (Oulog Jouz), the Middle Horde (Orta Jouz) and the Lesser Horde (Kichi Jouz). The names of the hordes were not related to their size but to the relative age of the three sons of the ancestor, the elder, the second, and the younger. In 1602, the Kalmuks led by Khan Urluk and the Djungar Mongols devasted the steppes. The Kazaks call this era "aktaban choubroundi" (the big disaster). The Djungars came back in 1710 and 1713 and seized between 1722 and 1727 most of the lands of the Greater and Middle Hordes. The Lesser Horde called for the Russian protection, which was acknowledged in 1734. Following a revolt in 1860, Kazakstan became a colony, officialy regulated in 1868 and considered as a "zone of agricultural colonization".
Ivan Sache, 30 May 2003

Kazakh Khanate flag

by Victor Lomantsov

Ancient flag of Kazakh Khanate (1456-1822) from http://members.tripod.com/~kz2000/history/histflags.html
David Straub, 30 May 2003

This flag was published on the website of the Turkish government and series of Turkish postage stamps. They were very common in the Turkish official iconography.
Ivan Sache and Onur Ozgun, 30 May 2003

There wasn't actually a Kazakh Khanate but there were independent Kazakh Tribes in Central Asia during that time. I don't know the origin of the flag but it is certainly possible that it existed. These were located in what is today modern Kazakhstan.
David Straub, 25 May 2003

Is it only me, or does a flag with three five-pointed stars neatly aligned down the hoist look suspiciously modern for a flag purporting to date to 1456? But then again, the khanate itself did not exist.
Joe McMillan, 30 May 2003

Flags in "Diamond Sword" movie, 2016

by Nozomi Kariyasu

reported by Nozomi Kariyasu

Kazakh movies titled "Diamond Sword" in 2016 depicting the story of two great heroes established Kazakh Khanate (1446-1847) shows swallow tailed blue flag with yellow Tibetan endless knot and three ethnic decorations (stars) surrounded by yellow border.
In this film, other flags also appear, including a vertical banner depicting wolves and a flag featuring an eagle and sun that could be considered the prototype for the current national flag. Even after converting to Islam, they continued to use blue—a color associated with Mongol and Turkic peoples—rather than Islamic green or black at battle field.
The endless knot signifies continuous infinity and a symbol wishing for eternal prosperity and abundant happiness. This film also features several types of military flags and the Mongol Empire's falcon flag, but as it is a domestic production, this likely reflects the historical research conducted.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 10 October 2025

In general, the flag looks more authentic than the one which is typically used to represent the Kazakh Khanate.
Along with the two flags with the endless knot, there are two with the howling wolf in white outlines on a blue field and a small flag with the shahada inscribed in gold on a black (or very dark green) field, which is perhaps attached to one of the flags with the wolf. A strange collection of symbols - Islamic, Tibetan Buddhist and proto-Turkic pagan. The founders of the khanate were of Mongol origin, descended from the khans of Golden Horde, and many of their warriors were actually Tatars and members of other Turkic peoples. They have all been followers of Islam for a number of generations by then, although possibly still not very strict about the religious practice - for example, they were known not to have abstained from alcoholic drinks and their women were mingling with the men much more freely than expected in a traditional Muslim society, not even covering themselves as their faith would require from them. It also seems that some of original Mongol religious tolerance, an acceptance of all religions which was rather unique in history, has remained even after their conversion to Islam, so such an eclectic combination of symbols was not entirely impossible; whether it was still possible at the time when the Kazakh Khanate was founded, is the question for which we still need an answer.
Tomislav Todorovic, 10 October 2025

Perhaps I am confused, but what is the consensus so far in here: is this flag real or not? Because I somehow doubt it exists. Using a reverse search I also found this image on Vexilla Mundi published beforehand. The fact it has been featured in a domestic film does not necessarily mean that the creators did their proper historical research. For any matter, it could be used to make the film more colorful or show some deeper sense of unity (?).
Daniel Renteria, 11 October 2025

The three patterns on the hoist of the Kazakh Khanate flag appear to be ethnic decorations rather than stars. The flag image has been corrected. In this film, other flags also appear, including a vertical banner depicting wolves and a flag featuring an eagle and sun that could be considered the prototype for the current national flag. Even after converting to Islam, they continued to use blue — a color associated with Mongol and Turkic peoples—rather than Islamic green or black at battle field. Better, but I still don't think there are those outlines - in fact, I think that within each star, there are two small horizontal lozenges sharing a point which is placed in the star center, their sides being parallel with those of the star rays.
Tomislav Todorovic, 11 October 2025